Standing pilot is an older way of igniting a furnace. For many years, furnaces used a small and continuously burning flame known as a pilot light to ignite the burners during every heating cycle. Related Link: Learn more about HVAC and Gas furnaces. Troubleshooting an Intermittent Pilot (IP), Troubleshooting a Hot Surface Ignitor (HSI), A Visual Guide to a High-Efficiency Condensing Furnaces, How to Replace a Water Heater Thermocouple or Flame Sensor, 8 Common Problems With Conventional Gas Furnaces, How to Light the Standing Pilot Light on a Gas Furnace. With the ignitor still disconnected from the furnace wiring, take the reading. When the thermostat tells the furnace to turn on, the intermittent pilot opens a gas valve and creates a small spark. A pilot light always burns gas, regardless of whether a heating cycle occurs. With such models, you no longer have the manual lighting option. When theyre dirty, they wont be able to perform correctly. Mine has been out for 5 days so far. That means the standing pilot gas ignition system needs to use gas all the time. You turn on the furnace: The intermittent ignition system cannot come on if the furnace is switched off. Knowing how electronic ignitions work and their benefits will help you make an informed decision about which furnace to purchase. Is.a really nice guy and. Safe and reliable ignition for a gas furnace, water heater, or boiler system which uses gas. Thus the pilot light burning to heat the thermocouple or thermopile. To reset the furnace, look for the reset button on your furnace. Most natural gas furnaces have changed over to using electronic ignition systems instead. Contact us for complete details. Lets take a look at the different kinds of ignition systems for furnaces, and which one you should look for when installing a new one. Call your local plumber or HVAC company for help. Luckily for homeowners, starting a furnace pilot light is not complicated. In both types of electronic ignition systems, there are extra safety steps to prevent gas from flowing to the burners when theres nothing to ignite them. When the thermostat signals the need for heat, an electric system creates a spark that causes the pilot to come on, and then the pilot activates the burners. Hydes is the best! They are reliable and effective to safely light the main burners of a gas furnace, boilers, or water heaters. That reduces corrosion and can add years to the life of a furnace. Its the same for the air filters in the furnace. Once the pilot is lit, and the main burner senses the pilot flame (using a flame sensing rod), the main burner ignites. 93637. Not having a pilot that is continually lit means more efficient operation. Electronic ignition systems = no heat without electricity. My house was without power for 55 hours with the outside temp dipping down to 11 Deg F one night. Including: BUD MATTHEWS SERVICES IS OPEN AND READY TO SERVE. My old furnace ran more than 20 years with a pilot light, the new furnace needs the ignitor replaced, which I couldnt buy. The pilot light can then light the main burners. Explained exactly what was going to be done. The standing pilot gas ignition system is reliable and time-tested with few problems. Pat was so kind and professional and fixed, Bud, I want to send my thanks to your company and especially to Scott. Intermittent pilot: Instead of staying on constantly, this type of pilot light is ignited by an electrical spark at the start of a heating cycle. Get daily tips and tricks for making your best home. A malfunctioning electronic ignition may also cause the furnace to stop in the middle of a heating cycle. A standing pilot ignition system has a pilot light assembly and a thermocouple or thermopile. We recognize our services are often emergency in nature, and we remain fully committed to fulfilling the needs of our community. Here is an overview of gas furnace ignition systems. Required fields are marked *. They explained everything they were doing with me as they were working. The HSI heats up to around 1,800 to 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit and glows red-hot. Is It Too Late to Have Heater Maintenance? Hyde and today's technician Brayan. You can put the burner door back in its place. Great service technicians!Highly recommend! Although pilot lights are still present in homes with older systems, most newly installed furnacesuse an electronic ignition instead. Jonathan came in and was very transparent on what they were going to work on. Now, remember that natural gas naturally combusts (without a spark) at 1163F while propane does the same at 920F to 1020F. I highly recommend them! Efficient, clean, polite service. Typically, furnaces with electronic ignition have burner doors that are not placed in the exact location as in models with pilot lights. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. This air gap goes from the rotor to the distributor.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'informinc_org-box-4','ezslot_1',108,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-informinc_org-box-4-0'); A high-tension cable will take it to the spark plug terminal. Chris was on-time, professional and did the job thoroughly. water heater soon. As a result, the electronic ignition system doesnt need to stay on continuously. Now you know how to light a gas furnace with electronic ignition. That makes electronic ignition gas ignition systems more efficient than standing pilot systems. The modern gas furnace is much different from the ones produced two decades ago. If your furnace has a standing pilot, you should be able to see it burning through a window in the combustion chamber. When this happens, you have to relight the pilot light before your furnace can turn on properly again. You must check the gas levels to see if the pilot light is weak and doesnt burn continuously. Pilot lights, but the main burner doesn't come on. : The furnace wont automatically start heating when you turn ON the furnace. All information is subject to change at any time without notice. Everyone there has skin in the game and their responsiveness, professionalism and quality of work reflects this. Finally, turn your furnace on and replace the compartment cover. If all is tine, it allows closes the circuitry that allows voltage to pass to the hot surface ignition system. First, locate the pilot valve on the furnace. The thermostat calls for heating: Your thermostat will call for heating whenever indoor temperatures drop below your setting, typically 68F to 72F. You are seeing this message because we have detected you are using Internet Explorer 10 (or older) to browse our site. I was extremely on cold but being able to shower and cook made it tolerable if not survivable. Put back in its place the clean igniter. If you have a newer furnace (or one with an AFUE rating above 80), it most likely has an electronic ignition system. In our previous 1990 built home in New Mexico, we had a Tempstar standing pilot gas furnace. This flame would burn throughout the season, ready whenever the gas burners turned on to ignite the jets and start combustion. This is the most common type of ignition in modern furnaces, and it works similarly to an incandescent light bulb. The standing pilot ignition system also adds heat to the system even in the summer. The electrical problem was taken care of quickly and efficiently. You can clean the igniters surface with sandpaper or steel wool. Many heartfelt thanks to the people I talked with on the phone late this afternoon who were concerned enough to send Pat over to check on our frozen pipes and dripping shower. Once the burners are on, the gas . Burner door should be removed. Using the supply tanks pressure gauge, you can quickly check out the gas level. Hyde's service agreement reimbursed us for a night in a hotel while the new unit was in transit. Examine the igniter (a metal rod with a wire connected to the burners path). The ignitors typically take an M or folk shape. Additionally, make sure the main gas valve is open. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Well, its true. This will cause your air conditioner to work a little harder to remove the heat. Plumber came to the house, identified the problem, gave us a temporary fix and suggested we wait until Monday to fix it. Bob Formisano is a licensed architect and builder with nearly 40 years of experience building new homes and restoring older homes. Noah was very responsive. As the name implies, this system uses a pilot lightbut its doesnt stay lit for long. The voltage signal will appear when the magnetic pickup and armature get in contact. The ignition system then shuts off. There are two general types of electronic ignition systems found in furnaces: hot surface ignition and intermittent pilots. That keeps a solenoid in the gas valve open via a pilot light that stays lit 24/7. Electronic ignition gas ignition systems are more efficient than standing pilot gas ignition systems. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. The ignition process is as follows; Hot surface ignition systems are either silicon carbide igniters or silicon nitride igniters. Maintenance was good.Maintenance was good. Instead, the pilot light only comes on when the sensors determine that the thermostat is calling for heating. Pilot light systems still provide heat as usual. Because pilot light furnaces are less common today, the furnaces that have them are usually more than 10 years old. Amador was very professional and did a great job. The flame keeps the thermocouple or thermopile hot. They utilize either a thermocouple or thermopile. First, the gas line to the pilot assembly opens, then an electric spark ignites the pilot. Turn the gas furnace with electronic ignition back on. Great company! Electronic Ignition vs Standing Pilot comments below this article. While this type of ignition is no longer used in central heating systems, they can still be found today in some gas fireplaces. Another big issue is that pilot lights can be blown out from time-to-time due to a nearby draft, dirt buildup, a malfunctioning thermocouple and more. All rights reserved. They explained everything they were doing as they did it while we watched. How to convert standing pilot to electronic ignition. Especially with proper maintenance. In particular, hot surface ignition systems tend to break down rather often, necessitating expensive repairs or replacements. An electronic gas ignition system utilizes solid-state controls for igniting the flame and proving the flame. If your gas furnace's filter is dusty, it won't function properly. Sometimes, even if you go through the mentioned steps, you might not get successful and the thermostat might not start running. There are two types of electronic furnace ignitions. The resulting flue gases are so cool they can be vented outside via a plastic (PVC) pipe, while the condensed water is run to a floor drain. The standing pilot light has given way to electronic ignition systems that use less energy and are more dependable. What steps to take to light a gas furnace with electronic ignition? Instead of running at all times, however, your furnace will produce a spark to light its pilot when necessary and turn it off when it's not. Electronic Ignition has also been proven safe and reliable for igniting the main burners. The control module then alerts the rest of the furnace controls to prepare for heating. These systems have been proven reliable and safe over time. This is a good question, and it depends on how old a furnace you have. Pilot lights on old furnaces can be lit every time they go out. Shut off the furnace entirely. Oxidation produces tons of heat that instantly combusts when exposed to a compressed fuel-air mixture. For those who prefer to have a standing pilot gas ignition system versus the electronic ignition gas systems. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. Your email address will not be published. Page Table of Contents [ show] When you dont clean it properly, you risk damaging the igniter. 20122023 Purl's Sheet Metal & Air Conditioning. Read remaining answer here. You might find the igniter as the control knob with marks On, Off, and Pilot. You need to turn the knob to the Off position. All Rights Reserved. Wait for at least five minutes. After verifying both, all you have to do is press the start/ON button on your furnace, and the unit will roar to life. The battery will give electricity as the positive terminal is connected to the ignition switch and the negative terminal is grounded. CA
Hold the button and bring the flame of the long lighter up close to the pilot light opening. When the electric furnace was introduced, this made it so that people did not have to constantly be checking on their pilot and relighting them as often. This way, it takes only a few seconds, typically less than five, for the ignitor piece to glow red hot. If the gas furnace doesnt light, you should call the professionals for service. A thorough cleaning of the pilot assembly is in order in this situation. The maintenance call was excellent. Another downside to the standing pilot, gas ignition system, is it adds heat to the system even in the summer. Todays furnaces are equipped with an electronic ignition system, and there are two types of electronic ignition: intermittent pilot and hot surface ignition. This is a small electronic device that receives an electrical current whenever your home is ready for heat. Miguel was on-time, friendly, and very professional! Thank you, Jeff, Amador was helpful in explaining questions we had. When you turn up the thermostat to initiate your furnace, you might notice a clicking sound before the warm air arrives. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. This reduces the amount of fuel used because a standing pilot light drains energy. I did not know our supplier installed a new hot water heater with electric igniter (still has a gas pilot). That causes the overall system to suffer when it comes to efficiency. (That saved us some, They replaced a number of parts in my old Maytag dryer. Find the burner door. Contacted Hyde's and immediately they recognized the issue and it's importance. Electronic ignition systems are found in most new furnaces, and they require little power to work. Simple enough and plenty of spare parts available when needed. There are two types of electric ignition systems in gas furnaces: Furnace intermittent pilots - This system does use a pilot light; however, the pilot light comes on only when needed and an electric spark activates it. Listen for the sound of the spark or watch for the hot surface ignitor to glow. The standing pilot would still give you hot water for baths and other things that would require hot water. The Benefit of Electronic Ignition. A pilot light always burns gas, regardless of whether a heating cycle occurs. Instead, it ignites automatically when the thermostat calls for heating. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Stove has electronic ignition for each burner and oven. Purl's Sheet Metal & Air Conditioning Blog. Taylor's service rep did a commendable job. After waiting, you can switch the igniter back on, bring the power back, and watch the pilot light come alive. Here are some easy ways to go about troubleshooting your gas furnace with electronic ignition: 1. Biannual service call. All rights reserved. When the furnace shuts off, the valve closes and the pilot light goes out. Most furnaces try up to three times, after which the furnace enters lockout mode unto you reset it. They are also significantly safe. There are a couple of issues with a conventional pilot light. We've been with Hyde's for over 10 years and have used them for numerous services throughout the years.They've always taken Great care of us and I would recommend them to anyone without hesitation.We recently needed a last minute electrical panel repair and called them 1st thing Momday morning, and they had a technician out by 10am.Our technician King was friendly, professional, and made sure we were completely satisfied.Keep up the Great work Hyde's. Its essential to take this step as it makes the furnace gradually go back to regular operation later.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'informinc_org-banner-1','ezslot_3',109,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-informinc_org-banner-1-0'); After you finish the thermostat, you should turn the furnace off. We have used Hyde's several times now for different electrical and AC needs, and continue to be impressed with their responsiveness and professional service. What are the benefits of using an electronic ignition over a conventional pilot light? Gas valves are durable, but if submerged underwater or overly excessive moisture conditions, they will corrode. My hot water heater is 26 years old and I will be replacing it with a standing pilot type for sure. You should try re-light the pilot light, but wait for a while. So, the first step is to turn it on. A spark is present, but the pilot won't light. Nice folks., Bud Mathew responded to our call even though it was made during the weekend. A pilot light that burns for the whole winter is an additional drain on natural gas, while an electronic ignition system only needs to use power at the moment it ignites the burners. Tags: Fresno, Gas Furnaces Youre now close to using the furnace. When the gas furnace doesnt light, its igniter might be worn out or outdated. Furnace pilot light out or electronic ignition isn't working. It is this spark that ignites the burners and starts the system. Have Generac standby power in case of electronic ignition systems failure due to power outage. The HSI heats up to around 1,800 to 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit and glows red-hot. After a flame sensor detects the pilot light is burning, gas is allowed to flow to burners where the pilot light ignites them. Every thing runs on NG. The ignitor is a critical part of your furnace. Chris was very thorough in making sure our issue was fixed. 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